Shoulder pad



Patented Oct. 31, 1950 SHOULDER PAD Harold A. Owen, Dover, Dei., assignor to International Latex Corporation, Dover, Del., a cor-- 1 poration of Delaware Application April 1, 1949, Serial No. 84,780

V 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to shoulder pads, and more specifically, to shoulder pads which ma be detachably secured to the shoulder straps of an undergarment. 1 Anobject of the invention is to provide a shoulder pad which will remain properly positioned in use and yet be easily and conveniently attached and removed when desired.

Another object is the provision of an article of der pad constructed in accordance with a preferred form of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1';

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the fastening means by which the pad may be secured to the shoulder strap of an undergarment;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the cooperative relationship of the garment strap; and.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the fastening means employed in the preferred form of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, wherein is illustrated the presently preferred form of the invention, the shoulder pad, indicated generally at I5, may be of the type described and claimed in the co-pending application of Abraham N. Spanel, Serial No. 4,555, filed January 27, 1948, for Shoulder Pads, noW Patent No. 2,495,028 issued January 17, 1950. The shoulder pad comprises a main body member Hi, preferably composed of latex or sponge rubber, and which in plan view is of substantially semi-elliptical shape with an outer end indicated at H to be disposed adjacent the extremity of the wearers shoulder and the apex l8 opposite edge I? to be disposed toward the neck of the wearer. As can best be seen from Fig. 2 of the drawings, the main body is crescent shape in transverse cross section with the thickness of the section progressively diminishing from edge ii to the apex 58, thus providing a smooth surface contour to the wearers shoulders. The main bod member is completely enclosed by a suitable fabric covering l9 composed of upper and lower folds stitched together along lines indicated at 2! and 22 extending adjacent the lateral converging edges of the main body member. It will be noted from Fig. 1 that a portion of the marginal edge of the fabric covering protrudes outwardlyv from the lateral converging edge of the main body member to form a skirt portion designated as 23. a

As stated above, the shoulder pad of the present invention is adapted to besecured to'the shoulder straps of an undergarment, such, for example, as a brassiere, and in the preferred form of my invention, I employ identicalslide buckles 24' and 25 for this purpose. "Referring'to Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings, it can be seen that the slide buckles are formed in the shape of flattened S and comprise a central bar 2% and outerbars 2i and 28,'respective1y, the bars being spaced apart in parallel relationship. The bars further are of uniform width and the free ends of the outer bars are provided with nodes 29, the function of which will appear hereinafter. The buckles are secured tothe fabric covering at spaced points disposedon the underv surface on opposite sides of the skirt portion or" thecovering adjacent to, and preferablyoutside of the lateral converging edges of the main body member and at points located nearer to the apex l8 thereof than to the outer marginal edge H. The width of the central bar 26 of the buckles preferably is the same as that of the outer bars thereof to facilitate manufacture; but apart from this, it is of considerable importance that the central bar be relatively narrow and have parallel sides, in order.

that the buckles ma conveniently be secured to the skirt portion as by an automatic sewing operation producing the stitching, indicated at '32, around the central bar of the buckles.

It will be noted that the buckles are so positioned on the under surface of the skirt portion that their central bars preferably are at a slight angle tothe longitudinal axis of the main body member. A portion of the undergarment strap is indicated at 33 and. is adapted. to pass over the central bar of the buckles and under the outer bars thereof, the strap being at all times adjustable in a lengthwise direction in order that the wearer may properly position the shoulder pad.

The setting of the slide buckles 24-25 at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the pad places them at a substantial angle one to the other,

. and hence a shoulder strap' positioned in the buckles will tend to bind or be gripped by the sides of the buckle slots if both buckles move lengthwise of the strap at the same time-as when the pad tends to move transverse its longitudinal axis. However, when desired the pad may be adjusted laterally quite easily by relative movement of the strap through each buckle individually. The nodes 29 formed On the free ends of the buckles serve to prevent the undergarment strap from accidentally slipping out and the slight angularity between the central bars of the buckles and the longitudinal axis of the main body member further enhances the gripping action of the buckles. Once the pad is properly adjusted on the wearers shoulder, it readily can be seen that its position thereon may not easily be disturbed by reason of the fact that the buckles securing the same to the undergarment strap are rigidly fixed to the skirt portion of the pad. While it would be possible to fix the buckles to the under surface of the skirt portion within the confines of the main body member, this construction would render the pad uncomfortable in use and, additionally, would not be as eflicient in holding the pad in alignment. When the buckles sewn to the skirt portion of the pad, they will not bear against the wearers shoulder and further will not detract'from the desired shoulder contour produced.

by the pad. To remove the pad from the undergarment strap, it only is necessary to slip the undergarment strap out through the free ends of the buckles, and, of course, to resecure the pad to the garment strap, the latter is slipped into the buckle through the open ends thereon.

While the inventionhas been described in particularity with reference to a preferred form of the invention, it readily will be apparent to those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that further modifications and changes may be made therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States 1s:

1. Ashoulder pad of the class described comprising, a body member, a fabric covering for said body member, said body member in top plan view tapering from a relatively broad outer end to a relatively narrow inner end defined by converging marginal edge portions, and slide buckles disposed on respectively opposite sides of said pad continguous said converging marginal edge portions, said buckles being so positioned that their respective longitudinal axes are inclined to each other to thereby provide for detachable and slidably adjustable engagement with a gar- .ment supporting strap while resisting bodily movement of the pad in a lateral direction due to the angularity of said buckles.

2. A shoulder pad of the class described comprising, a body member substantially semi-elliptical in top plan view, a fabric covering for said body member a marginal edge portion of which projects outwardly from the corresponding marginal edge portion of said body member thereby forming a skirt portion, and a pair of slide buckles secured to the underneath face of said skirt on respectively opposite sides of said pad outwardly beyond the edges of said body member.

3. A shoulder pad of the class described comprising, a main body member substantially semielliptical in top plan view, a fabric covering for said body member one marginal edge of which projects outwardly from the corresponding marginal edge of said body member thereby forming a skirt portion, and a pair of slide buckles disposed on respectively opposite sides of said pad and having slideways for receiving a garment strap, said buckles being so positioned that their slideways define respective paths of travel which intersect each other intermediate said buckles, whereby a strap passing through said slideways is gripped by said buckles when moved simultaneously while freely slidably movable relative to said buckles individually.

4. A shoulder pad of the class described comprising, a main body member, a fabric covering for said body member, and a pair of s-type slide buckles respectively secured at laterally spaced points on the bottom surface of said covering adapted to slidably receive the strap of an undergarment, the loops of said S-type buckles defining side walls of the slideways for said tape, said buckles being so positioned one with respect to the other that tape confined between the sidewalls of both of said buckles will follow a devious path.

HAROLD A. OWEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

